Where to Find the Best Italian Pizza Recipes
Looking for the authentic taste of Italian pizza in your own kitchen? You've come to the right place. While the definition of 'best' varies from person to person, there are some key steps and techniques that can help you achieve a delicious and authentic tasting pizza. This guide will help you find and refine the perfect recipe for your home oven.
Starting with the Basics: Pizza Dough
The foundation of a great pizza is its dough. The following recipe from the website is a great starting point. Note the middle amount of water used in the dough; experiment with it to find what suits your taste best.
While a traditional Italian wood burning oven with a stone deck is ideal, most home kitchens don't have this luxury. Therefore, adapting a recipe for home use is essential. The website offers a baking technique that compensates for the slower temperature of a home oven. Here are some detailed instructions from NYC Pizza School
Minimalist Approach to Sauce and Cheese
Good cooking is not just about recipes but about technique. Focus on making a nice dough; regular yeast will suffice. For the pizza sauce, you need a touch longer than a marinara, but certainly not three hours as for a rich spaghetti sauce. Be minimalistic with the sauce, simply swirled lightly from a ladle, as you see in pizzerias. Similarly, choose mozzarella cheese and avoid overloading your pizza with extras like Comte, Gruyere, Brie, or cheddar. More sauce and more cheese can ruin the flavor.
Getting Creative with Toppings
The fun part of making pizza is experimenting with toppings. My pizza stone is primarily used for homemade bread, but for pizza, a large cast-iron skillet works wonders. Start it on a hot stove until the bottom browns slightly, then transfer to a very hot oven for 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Toppings like onions and peppers can be caramelized in advance, and sausages and hamburgers can be browned before adding to the pizza.
Don't limit your creativity! Try a can of tuna with a sliced jalapeno, or some elk and avocado drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Even black beans and corn can be delicious pizza toppings. The possibilities are endless, and who knows? You might just create the most delicious pizza yet!
Conclusion: Finding the perfect Italian pizza recipe is all about experimentation, technique, and most importantly, taste. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pizza maker, the key is to keep refining and enjoying your culinary creations. Happy cooking!